NDA leaders on Tuesday charged that Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was deliberately sidestepping an Opposition-sought discussion on police action against student protesters in New Delhi, even as Union Home Minister Amit Shah had signalled his readiness to respond. The Congress, in turn, held firm on its demand for Shah to clarify whether he ordered the use of pellet guns during the 20 July march to Parliament — and to resign if he did.

NDA's Charge Against the Opposition

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said the ruling alliance was prepared to hear out and respond to every Opposition point, but questioned Gandhi's silence on the Congress-backed Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) government's handling of student protests in that state. 'We are ready to listen to everything the Opposition has to say and respond to every point...Rahul Gandhi, you keep creating a ruckus, but the Jharkhand government is running with your support. Jobs are being sold in every examination there; students are on hunger strikes, facing lathi-charges and tear gas. Don't you have to answer for this?' Prasad said. He added: 'Rahul Gandhi will have to respond to our questions...now he is running away from the debate.'

Union Minister and Republican Party of India (Athawale) [RPI (A)] chief Ramdas Athawale alleged that Gandhi's 'only job is to demand everyone's resignation,' and claimed Gandhi was 'afraid of Amit Shah, that is why he keeps losing elections.'

Shiv Sena and BJP MPs Pile On

Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde said the Home Minister was prepared to respond and that the government had agreed to discuss the very issue for which the Opposition had stalled Parliament, yet the Opposition was 'still not ready to accept it.' He argued this demonstrated that the Opposition neither wanted a discussion nor wanted the House to function.

BJP MP K. Laxman accused Gandhi of 'avoiding the discussion,' urging him to 'not run away' and to participate. Laxman also called on Congress representatives in the Jharkhand government to resign over the alleged lathi-charge on students. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari went further, accusing Gandhi of 'encouraging brutality,' saying the people of Jharkhand were watching.

Congress Stands Firm on Pellet Gun Demand

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi maintained that for over 15 days the Opposition had demanded the Home Minister's presence in the House. He noted that a two-day discussion on education had proceeded in the Lok Sabha without Shah in attendance. 'Our clear demand is that he should clarify whether he ordered the use of pellet guns or whether he was unaware of it. Whatever it is, he should make a statement, take responsibility and resign,' Gogoi said.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari echoed the demand, asking who authorised the lathi-charge, the use of nail-studded batons, and the firing of pellet guns. 'Such force was used against them as if they were terrorists,' he said.

The Jharkhand Flashpoint

The NDA's counter-offensive centred on Jharkhand, where the Congress is in alliance with the ruling JMM. BJP leaders alleged that student protesters there had faced lathi-charges and tear gas, drawing a direct parallel to the Delhi incidents the Opposition has raised. This marks a broader pattern of both sides weaponising student unrest — in Delhi and Jharkhand — to extract political accountability from the other. With Parliament's functioning still disrupted, the standoff shows little sign of resolution in the near term.